Kansas City Leaders Meet With At-Risk Residents

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City leaders are taking their efforts to reduce violence in the city directly to people considered likely to commit crimes.

Law enforcement, political and religious leaders met this week with 38 people - mostly men - to drill home the message that that police were watching them. Those at the meetings Wednesday were all associated in some way with suspects in aggravated assaults and homicides.

But they were also told they could get help to turn their lives around.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/14BYKbu ) the meetings were the first of several planned as part of the Kansas City No Violence Alliance's efforts to reduce violent crime.

Speakers told those who attended that violence will no longer be tolerated, so they should consider getting help to change their lives.